HONG KONG — Hong Kong police arrested about a dozen protesters and used pepper spray on Saturday to break up a protest in a shopping mall aimed at disrupting retail businesses near the border with mainland China. The Chinese traders have become a target for protesters in Hong Kong, who are blame them for overcrowding and pushing up prices and rents. There are many parallel traders, we want to cast them out,” said Kelly, a 17-year-old protester wearing mask. The protests in Hong Kong began more than six months ago in response to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party. Hong Kong police have earned a total of $17.3 million in meal and work-related allowances during the past six months of anti-government protests, government figures showed on Friday.

Source: National Post December 28, 2019 12:11 UTC